Marmaduke
Marmaduke is a newspaper comic strip revolving around the Winslow family and their Great Dane, Marmaduke, drawn by Brad Anderson from June 1954 to 2015. Publication history The strip was created by Anderson, and sold to the John F. Dille Co. (later known as the National Newspaper Syndicate) in 1954.Anderson entry, Who's Who of American Comic Books, 1928–1999. Accessed October 14, 2018. Anderson said he drew on Laurel and Hardy routines for his ideas. Anderson illustrated the strip, writing it with help from Phil Leeming (1955–1962) and later Dorothy Leeming (1963–1969), and, after August 2, 2004, Anderson's son Paul. The strip on Sundays also has a side feature called "Dog Gone Funny", in which one or more panels are devoted to dog anecdotes submitted by the fans. Brad Anderson died on August 30, 2015, at the age of 91, leaving the long-term fate of the strip unknown; strips co-drawn with the help of his son, Paul Anderson, continue to be syndicated. Characters * Marmaduke – A messy but lovable Great Dane owned by the Winslow family; Marmaduke is a very large example of the breed and has regularly been drawn as apparently measuring 40 inches and upwards at the withers. * Phil – Patriarch of the Winslow family * Debbie – Matriarch of the Winslow family * Barbara ("Barbie" ) – The Winslows' older child * Brian (or "Billy" ): – The Winslows' younger child * Mr. and Mrs. Snyder – The Winslows' neighbors * King Tut – A Siamese cat, based on Brad Anderson's pet, who is Marmaduke's nemesis Reception Brad Anderson won the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben Award for Newspaper Panel Cartoon in 1978,Marmaduke, bio at United Feature Syndicate website and the George Arents Pioneer Medal for Syracuse University alumni in 1999.ARENTS AWARD WINNERS , Syracuse University Magazine 1999: "The strip ... now syndicated in more than 600 newspapers worldwide." As of 2015, Marmaduke continues to be widely syndicated, and is popular with readers. Attempts to cancel Marmaduke have drawn protest, such as those by readers of The Toronto Star in 1999, of the Sarasota Herald Tribune in 2007, and of the Chicago Sun-Times in 1986.Our readers show their loyalties, Chicago Sun Times, October 1, 1986 Criticism The strip's longevity and perceived monotonyLaughing at, not with, the comics, Troy Reimink, Grand Rapids Press: "The daily comic strip strikes me as such a moldy, arcane form of entertainment, based on tired jokes repeated ad nauseam until the end of time. We get it: Garfield likes lasagna. Marmaduke is big." have been noted by satirical publications such as The OnionSome Old Man Still Churning Out Marmaduke, The Onion, March 14, 2008 and have made it the butt of jokes. : "Marmaduke has arguably spent 50 years retelling the same two jokes – Marmaduke is a dog with some human qualities, and Marmaduke is gargantuan – but the Star's attempt to drop it in 1999 sparked a reader revolt." It has become "a hot source of retro-ironic-subversive humor." For example, a blog called "Joe Mathlete Explains Today's Marmaduke" deconstructs the strip to offer an alternative explanation for what's happening in the drawing.NPR Story about Marmaduke Explained: " Let's be clear. No one thinks Marmaduke is funny. ... However, someone explaining Marmaduke – that's funny." Another blog called "Marmaduke Can Vote" gives each panel a political slant, while another called "Poignant Marmaduke" changes all the captions to make the comics sad. Additionally, "The Marmaduke Project" re-imagines Marmaduke in other forms. In his satirical analysis at The Comic Strip Doctor, David Malki of Wondermark ranked Marmaduke among "the worst newspaper comic strips," alongside Heathcliff, Family Circus, and Dennis the Menace. Adaptations Animated series Ruby-Spears produced Marmaduke segments for the 1980 animated series Heathcliff, whose title character was also based on a comic strip character. In this animated version, the male characters were voiced by Paul Winchell and the females were voiced by Russi Taylor. Motion picture A live-action Marmaduke movie, in which the Winslows and their dog move from Kansas to California, was released on June 4, 2010. References ;General * Strickler, Dave. Syndicated Comic Strips and Artists, 1924–1995: The Complete Index. Cambria, CA: Comics Access, 1995. . External links *National Cartoonists Society Awards *[http://www.gocomics.com/marmaduke Today's Marmaduke strip at GoComics.com] * Category:American comic strips Category:1954 comics debuts Category:Comics about dogs Category:Gag cartoon comics Category:Gag-a-day comics Category:American comics adapted into films Category:Comics adapted into animated series Category:Comics adapted into television series